The outcry over Panorama’s decision to film an undercover documentary in North Korea while travelling with a group of students has kept media focus on a country that is increasingly popular with travellers.

The students said they planned the trip for academic purposes and objected to being used as a cover by journalists.

While the ethical implications of tourism in such an undemocratic country are debatable, as long as you're not part of the media, getting into North Korea is not actually too difficult. Just don't hope to travel independently and be prepared to follow certain rules.

“Contrary to popular belief, the process of obtaining tourist visas for North Korea is actually very simple,” said Dylan Harris from Lupine Travel (lupinetravel.co.uk), a tour operator going to North Korea.

“The only requirement is that you are booked on a pre-planned tour with two North Korean guides for company.”

The guides have to be specially appointed by the country’s Ministry of Tourism and associated with one of the three travel services based in the capital, Pyongyang.

Even those travelling alone on a private tour must be accompanied by two guides.

“It’s not possible to travel independently in North Korea,” said Gill Leaning, from Regent Holidays (regent-holidays.co.uk), another operator with a range of popular tours to the country.

“We generally don’t have a problem securing visas for our clients, but it can take around 6-8 weeks to organise.”

She added that, even when accompanied by guides, there are still certain requirements expected of visitors.

“Travellers do need to understand that they are privileged guests of the North Koreans,” she said, “and therefore they do need to abide by the rules while in the country, which include not walking around unaccompanied and refraining from taking photographs at certain locations if requested.”

Regent Holidays has seen an enormous leap in the number of holidaymakers travelling to North Korea, with numbers doubling in the last three years.

Ms Leaning said this was due in part to the country’s 100th anniversary celebrations in 2012.

She said the current posturing by Kim Jong-un had sparked a 400 per cent increase in enquiries about tours to the country.

Lupine Travel has also experienced a 50 per cent increase in bookings year on year. It said there are no waiting lists to get onto its tours, which began in 2007, as there is no restriction on the number of visitors and more groups can be added.

Cox and Kings (coxandkings.co.uk) is another tour company that offers trips to the country, with attractions including the statue of Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang, the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, a micro-brewery in Kaesong and light trekking to Mount Kumgang.

The operator said it keeps in regular contact with its ground agents and follows the advice of the Foreign Office when deciding if it remains safe to travel to the country, as do the other companies contacted by Telegraph Travel.

The Foreign Office advice states that most visits to North Korea are trouble-free and that there is no immediate increased risk or danger to those living or travelling there. It does warn however that the situation could change quickly.

It also advises British nationals to register with the British Embassy in Pyongyang on arrival.

It is not possible for holidaymakers to enter from South Korea.

North Korea attractions

In Pyongyang:

Mansudae Grand Monument, to lay a wreath of flowers at the statue of Kim Il Sung in Fountain Park

Revolutionary Martyrs’ Cemetery

Kim Il Sung Square and the Arch of Triumph (built to commemorate the Korean resistance from Japan between 1925 and 1945)